Saponins, steroid or triterpenoid glycosides found widely in the plant kingdom, have a wide range of medicinal and commercial uses. The saponins of some plant species have been shown to be useful as adjuvants that can be used to enhance immune responses to specific antigens. Some types of plant saponin adjuvants not only enhance immune responses to antigens but can also preferentially induce specific types of cell mediated immune responses.
Current procedures for purifying pharmacologically useful saponins are not optimal in terms of product uniformity, reconstitutability, or homogeneity. In addition, current methods of purifying saponins can take as long as 14 days.
In view of the potential usefulness of immunogenic compositions containing saponins, a need exists for more efficient saponin purification methods.